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Re: [oshug] Open (Source?) Hardware.
by Andrew Katz 19 Aug '11

19 Aug '11

I definitely prefer Open Source Hardware On 19 Aug 2011, at 08:58, Paul Tanner wrote: > I don't think I know what "Open Hardware" is so I'm definitely for OSH. Paul FWIW, I consider Open Source Hardware to be hardware which comes with the recipe/blueprints/source code whatever so that you can reproduce it yourself, and Open Hardware to be hardware that comes with complete specifications so that you can interface to it without any nasty surprises and without necessarily knowing what goes on inside. Open Source is better, but open is definitely a step in the right direction. Open Source hardware almost inevitably relies on open hardware: for example, you can have all the specs to a 555 timer, but you don't need to have the information necessary to build one. Or for even harder hardware, you may have the specs of a bolt (thread pitch, length, tensile strength, general resistance to corrosion etc) but you're unlikely to know the exact makeup of the alloy used to make it, or how it was tempered etc. So most simple electronic components will be open hardware. The only thing you have to be a bit careful about when talking about open source hardware is that it's more difficult to draw the boundary between source and object than it is with software. For example, I'd say an open source car is still an open source car if the complete design docs are available, even if the motors are individual proprietary units and you don't have the source for them, so long as the specification of the motors is sufficient for you to do what you want with them and they do what they are expected to do with no nasty surprises. If you take a maximalist approach, and want instructions sufficient to enable you to synthesise a car from a bunch of atoms, then you will spend most of your life sadly disappointed. It's lucky there is no one like this in the open source software (sorry, free software) world :) Best Andrew

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Open (Source?) Hardware.
by Andrew Back 19 Aug '11

19 Aug '11

Hello, Some of you may also have been following the debate regarding open hardware vs. open source hardware on the Open Hardware Summit lists and/or various others. The OHS updates list archives are, for some reason, private, but Bryan Bishop has kindly been forwarding to Open Manufacturing. See: http://groups.google.com/group/openmanufacturing/msg/c9e1cd72d153a88e?hl=en& I have personally had some trouble with this debate in the past, and whilst we ended up being OSHUG and not OHUG, I don't find the argument that Open Hardware is, e.g. just a device with documented registers, entirely convincing. Inasmuch as it may have once meant this, but it has now come to be generally accepted that it is quite something else. I do agree with a lot of what Bruce Perens has to say... This is not to say that I think we should drop the "S". I've not completely made my mind up, and with regards to what we are called I don't think it matters _that_ much. Bruce does make a good case, though, and I'm definitely with him on this being a movement and the importance of it being " a lot of folks going in approximately the same direction". Which is to say that we don't all have to agree on everything. It would be a shame if this ended up being another Free Software vs. Open Source type split, though. I'm in interested as to what other folks think... Cheers, Andrew

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Re: [oshug] Open (Source?) Hardware.
by Paul Tanner 19 Aug '11

19 Aug '11

I don't think I know what "Open Hardware" is so I'm definitely for OSH. Paul PS. Could it be a piece of hardware with the lid open? At 07:35 AM 8/19/2011, Andrew Back wrote: >Hello, > >Some of you may also have been following the debate regarding open >hardware vs. open source hardware on the Open Hardware Summit lists >and/or various others. The OHS updates list archives are, for some >reason, private, but Bryan Bishop has kindly been forwarding to Open >Manufacturing. See: > >http://groups.google.com/group/openmanufacturing/msg/c9e1cd72d153a88e?hl=en& > >I have personally had some trouble with this debate in the past, and >whilst we ended up being OSHUG and not OHUG, I don't find the argument >that Open Hardware is, e.g. just a device with documented registers, >entirely convincing. Inasmuch as it may have once meant this, but it >has now come to be generally accepted that it is quite something else. > >I do agree with a lot of what Bruce Perens has to say... This is not >to say that I think we should drop the "S". I've not completely made >my mind up, and with regards to what we are called I don't think it >matters _that_ much. Bruce does make a good case, though, and I'm >definitely with him on this being a movement and the importance of it >being " a lot of folks going in approximately the same direction". >Which is to say that we don't all have to agree on everything. It >would be a shame if this ended up being another Free Software vs. Open >Source type split, though. > >I'm in interested as to what other folks think... > >Cheers, > >Andrew > >_______________________________________________ >oshug mailing list >oshug(a)oshug.org >http://oshug.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/oshug Paul Tanner - Virtual Technologies - http://www.virtual-techno.com Tel: +44 1494 581979 Mob: +44 7973 223239 mailto:paul@virtual-techno.com

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TI Chronos eZ430.
by Andrew Back 18 Aug '11

18 Aug '11

Hello, Whilst not exactly OSHW, thought it worth pointing out that TI currently have a deal on the Chronos eZ430 wireless watch: http://tideals.com/ If you order from their eStore it works out at about £15 with shipping included. Just chatting with Ken Boak now about how easy it would be to drive one from a Nanode. Anyone on the list have experience with one? Cheers, Andrew

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Re: [oshug] TI Chronos eZ430.
by Andrew Back 18 Aug '11

18 Aug '11

On 18 August 2011 08:30, Paul Tanner <paul(a)virtual-techno.com> wrote: > Not OSHW but IoT nevertheless. > Is that price for the whole dev kit or just the watch? The watch and dongle AFAIK. > Anyone know if software can be developed and loaded from a Mac OS/X - the > links say PC? Not sure about OS X, but would suspect that this is unlikely using the official SDK. I also gather that it uses some proprietary IDE/compiler and that unless you pay for it you at most get access to a crippled (e.g. limited to certain object code size) version. Anyway, there should be details on the TI site somewhere... There is a community effort to develop an open source SDK which uses a compiler without such restrictions, but I'd imagine that it might not be as fully featured. Looks as though there is currently no solution to drive one with an RFM12B module via FSK, but have seen mention of the possibility of using OOK (ASK). Cheers, Andrew

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Re: [oshug] TI Chronos eZ430.
by Paul Tanner 18 Aug '11

18 Aug '11

Not OSHW but IoT nevertheless. Is that price for the whole dev kit or just the watch? Anyone know if software can be developed and loaded from a Mac OS/X - the links say PC? Paul At 08:04 AM 8/18/2011, you wrote: >Hello, > >Whilst not exactly OSHW, thought it worth pointing out that TI >currently have a deal on the Chronos eZ430 wireless watch: > >http://tideals.com/ > >If you order from their eStore it works out at >about £15 with shipping included. > >Just chatting with Ken Boak now about how easy it would be to drive >one from a Nanode. Anyone on the list have experience with one? > >Cheers, > >Andrew > >_______________________________________________ >oshug mailing list >oshug(a)oshug.org >http://oshug.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/oshug Paul Tanner - Virtual Technologies - http://www.virtual-techno.com Tel: +44 1494 581979 Mob: +44 7973 223239 mailto:paul@virtual-techno.com

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retrobsd - 2.11BSD for embedded systems
by Sevan / Venture37 10 Aug '11

10 Aug '11

Hiya, Saw this posted on twitter yesterday, a port of 2.11BSD for Microchip PIC32 microcontroller. http://code.google.com/p/retrobsd/ Sevan

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OSHUG #12 — Practical Approaches, Thursday 29th September.
by Andrew Back 28 Jul '11

28 Jul '11

Hello, Firstly, a date for the diary: on Thursday 27th October we will be hosting our first OSHcamp — a one day (likely 10:00 - 18:00, then pub) event to be held at the Centre for Creative Collaboration in Kings Cross. We're still working on the details but there will be four parallel workshops: building the Internet of Things using OSHW, practical 3D printing, electronics primer/documenting OSHW projects and prototyping accessories with the Google ADK. And before then, in September, it will be OSHUG #12: -- Practical Approaches (Double-sided PCB Design, Controlling Power, 3W RGB LED Controller) On the 29th September 2011, 18:00 - 20:00 at Centre for Creative Collaboration, 16 Acton Street, London, WC1X 9NG (51.529049, -0.116436) Registration: http://oshug.org/event/12 Developing a solution to a problem is not simply a matter of whether it is technically possible, but can involve all manner of challenging constraints. This is particularly the case in DIY and small-scale manufacture contexts, as there may be limited access to tools, test equipment and costly fabrication processes. At the twelfth OSHUG meeting we'll be hearing about practical approaches that were developed in tackling three different problems. One is concerned with designing a double-sided PCB to accommodate 0.5mm pitch surface mount devices, that can be reliably built using low cost DIY methods. Another with safely controlling mains powered devices from the Internet, and the third with building a 3W RGB LED controller using all open source design and development tools. - DIY Double-sided PCB Design and Development for embedded ARM Inspired by the success of the Arduino platform and driven by a recognition that to go from raw materials to a working system is both exciting and empowering, a project was born to develop a powerful microcontroller board that can be built from scratch. With this came the challenge of designing a double-sided PCB that will accommodate a 64-pin LQFP package on 0.5mm pitch, and that can be built using low cost DIY techniques. In this talk we will learn about the rules which needed to be applied in order to ensure that construction of such a PCB is practical, and discoveries that were made in its development. Garry Bulmer gained his degree in Computer Science in the early 1980s and developed software for companies including ICL, before going on to teach Computer Science and Software Engineering at degree level and beyond. During the 1990s he was a co-founder of Parallax Solutions, a software services company with customers that included Rover Group and Rolls Royce, and that partnered with Sun Microsystems and delivered their Enterprise Architecture Blueprints. He's since held the position of Chief Architect at Keane, Aspen Technology and Caritor. More recently he has become involved in education, running Arduino workshops for local schools and at events including Howduino, DEV8D and fizzPop. - A Simple Approach to Controlling Power from Internet Apps Working with mains power can be a daunting prospect and requires due care and attention. In this presentation we will hear about a simple and safe way to control mains-powered appliances from the Internet using cheap wireless links. This will include a live demo based on MBED and an explanation of this approach, and there will be opportunity to discuss its pros and cons. Paul Tanner is a consultant, developer and maker in wood, metal, plastic, electronics and software. His day job is IT-based business improvement for SMEs. By night he turns energy nut, creating tools to optimise energy use. Paul graduated in electronics and was responsible for hardware and software product development and customer services in several product and service start-ups, switching to consulting in 2000. - Using Open Source tools to design and build a 3W RGB LED Controller in a month of Sundays There are many Open Source and freely available hardware designs but almost all of them are currently hosted by proprietary tool chains. Whether it's the EDA suite used to design the boards, the compilers used to build the firmware or the dongles used to flash the firmware, the chances are that at least one, if not all, are under a non-free license of some kind. In this talk we will hear about the experience of using an entirely open toolchain to develop a 3W RGB LED controller. Specifically, the the trials and tribulations in using Kicad: the GPL PCB Suite; AVR-GCC: the GNU Compiler Collection build that targets the Atmel AVR line of microcontrollers and a parallel port programmer that can be built in 5 minutes with minimal components. Andy Bennett is an Engineer that likes to inhabit the void between hardware and the software that runs on it. After graduating from Imperial College with a degree in Electronic & Electrical Engineering he joined Access Devices Digital Limited where he designed software and FPGA cores for the UK's first Dual Tuner Personal Video Recorders. He continued working on Advanced Product Development at Pace Micro Technology before leaving to become employee number 2 at GenieDB where he applies his finely honed ability to produce software on a shoestring. In his spare time he likes to design ambitious projects from scratch. In between prototyping designs for his own PDA, digital watch and bluetooth headset, he's currently building a two wheeled, actively balanced, robot. Note: Please aim to arrive for 18:00 - 18:20 as the event will start at 18:30 prompt. -- Cheers, Andrew

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CERN Open hardware repository
by Al Wood 08 Jul '11

08 Jul '11

Just in Via Adafruit CERN has an opensource hardware effort http://www.ohwr.org/ It has its own Open hardware license, manifesto and project management portal as well as project repositories. Very interesting, check it out.. -- http://www.folknology.com

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Re: [oshug] sourcing ADK boards
by Dan Williams 02 Jul '11

02 Jul '11

On 25 Jun 2011, at 08:57, Paul Tanner <paul(a)virtual-techno.com> wrote: > I am thinking that a whole OSHUG session is needed for this, including input from someone who's created a ADK setup with alternative hardware at a reasonable cost. Do we know anyone? I know someone who experimented with putting android phones into USB host mode pre-ADK. He was using it for external keyboards with the intent to plug in USB sensor boards or arduinos. Not sure how far he got or how relevant that is now we have ADK Dan

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